Surface fuel litterfall and decomposition in the northern Rocky Mountains, U.S.A.
By: Robert E. Keane.
Contributors: Rocky Mountain Research Station (Fort Collins, Colo.)
Series: Research paper RMRS -- RP-70
Publisher: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station
Published: 2008
Place of publication: [Fort Collins, CO]
Language: eng
Number of pages: 22
Subjects: Forest litter -- Rocky Mountains -- Measurement; Forest litter -- Biodegradation -- Rocky Mountains; Forests and forestry -- Fire management -- Rocky Mountains
Description: Surface fuel deposition and decomposition rates are important to fire management and research because they can define the longevity of fuel treatments in time and space and they can be used to design, build, test, and validate complex fire and ecosystem models useful in evaluating management alternatives. We determined rates of surface fuel litterfall and decomposition for a number of major forest types that span a wide range of biophysical conditions in the northern Rocky Mountains, USA. We measured fuel deposition for more than 10 years with semi-annual collections of fallen biomass sorted into six fuel components (fallen foliage, twigs, branches, large branches, logs, and all other canopy material). We gathered this material using a network of seven to nine, 1-m² litter traps installed at 28 plots that were established on seven sites with four plots per site. We measured decomposition for only fine fuels using litter bags installed on five of the seven sites and monitored for biomass loss from the bags each year for 3 years. Deposition and decomposition rates are summarized by plot, cover type, and habitat type series. We also present various temporal and spatial properties of litterfall and decomposition fluxes across the six fuel components.
Notes: "April 2008."

Includes bibliographical references (p. 19-22).

Also available via the World Wide Web.